Posts tagged beauty

I spent a couple of days last week in Manchester at Pro Hair Live working with hairdresser Lisa Shepherd and her fantastic team. Lisa’s show was all about upcoming trends in hair colour and the war between pastel and neon shades.

I wanted to create a make-up look that reflected this trend but was still very wearable on the high street, so I went for something very fresh and clean with just a pop of bright neon colour on the lips. 

I wanted skin to look healthy and glowing, and I used only cream based products in neutral tones on the cheeks and eyes so everything blended seamlessly together without creating any matte texture. I also added a little gloss to the eyelids to create a dewy look, and kept brows as natural as possible, just brushing them up slightly and setting them in place.

I think this is a great way to experiment with the neon trend for spring/summer. By focussing the pop of bright colour to just one area of the face and keeping the rest of your make-up pared back it keeps the look quite young and very wearable.

Products:

Skin - Illamasqua satin primer, MAC Face and Body foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt foundation

Cheeks - Illamasqua cream pigment in Hollow

Eyes - NARS smudgeproof eyeshadow base, Illamasqua cream pigment in Hollow, Illamasqua sheer lipgloss in Explode

Lips - Illamasqua lipstick in Flare, MAC lipstick in Girl About Town and Outrageously Fun.

Stuck for a little new year’s make-up inspiration? Take a peek at some of my favourite beauty looks from last night’s Golden Globe Awards - from pretty to sexy, natural to full-on glamour, there’s a style to suit everyone…

Jessica Alba’s was my most loved look of the night with her statement orange lipstick. Going for a bolder shade of lipstick is a great way to update your make-up look for the new year.

Anne Hathaway complemented her short hairstyle with a very feminine make-up look - fluttery lashes, rosy cheeks and candy coloured lips.

Michelle Dockery’s brown smokey eyes looked really striking against her pale skin. The look was kept subtle with glossy, bronze lips.

The Dermalogica Insider Programme is a great scheme that offers professional make-up artists the chance the use Dermalogica’s fantastic skincare range in their kits. 

Through joining the programme I received the Dermalogica ultracalming cleanser, muti-active toner, active moist moisturiser and daily microfoliant. All of these products are formulated without artificial colours or fragrances so are suitable for clients with sensitive skin.

As a make-up artist, it is so important to prepare the skin before applying make-up, and these products allow me to do this is the most effective way.

So first things first - what is a Beauty Balm? BB Creams (or Beauty/Blemish Balms) are a cult Asian product that recently made the transition into the UK market. They are multi-functional products that moisturise, prime the skin and give some coverage to even out skin tone. Many cosmetics and skin care brands now offer a BB Cream in their collections.

I have been trying out Dr. Jart’s Premium Beauty Balm for the last couple of days, which claims to be the “World Best BB All in One Wonder”!

I was concerned at first that the colour looked a bit ashy on my skin, but once it had settled it adapted well to my skin tone. 

The finish it gives is really natural looking and blends seamlessly into the skin but can build up coverage on areas that need a little more work. Skin feels soft and nourished with a healthy glow. 

It contains SPF40 to protect skin from the elements and has anti-ageing properties making it suitable for those with more mature skin. It is also suitable for sensitive skin.

I would say that those with a more oily complexion or who like their skin to be matte would find this product a bit too shiny, but adding a sheer coverage powder on top (such as MAC’s mineralize skinfinish powder) would do the trick whilst keeping skin looking natural. However, Dr. Jart do offer a range of different BB Creams to suit different ages and skin types, with differing levels of coverage.

The classic red lip is back for the autumn season! This time it’s a full, matte red lip.

Get the look:

* Before trying this look make sure that lips are well moisturised - chapped lips do not work well with matte lipstick!

* Start by lining the lip with a lip pencil - for this look match the colour of the pencil exactly to the shade of your lipstick rather than going for a darker shade. Use the liner to correct the shape of your lips to achieve a perfectly symmetrical shape. You can also take the liner a little above your natural lip line to give the illusion of fuller lips.

* Next colour in your lips with the lip pencil. This will give a greater depth of colour to the lipstick and help the colour to last for longer.

*Load up a lip brush with a matte red lipstick and apply a smooth, even coat to the lips, keeping within the shape created by the liner.

* Blot the lips using a tissue. You can also apply some translucent powder by using a cotton pad to gently dab over the lips. You should then be able to lightly touch your lips without any colour product coming off on your fingers.

* Apply another layer of lipstick for a bold red lip that will last well into the night!

To keep the look on trend, keep the rest of your make-up simple and minimal!

Here are some of my favourite beauty looks from the shows at New York Fashion Week. A little preview of what’s to come for Spring/Summer 2013:

Bold red and blue colours and graphic liner appeared on the eyes at Anna Sui. Also loving the pastel coloured wigs!

Marc Jacobs showcased a gorgeous sixties-inspired beauty look with strong, dark brows and a dark liner around the eyes and through the crease of the eye, whilst the rest of the make-up was kept pale and matte.

Lines of either lime green or blue were painted through the socket line at Michael Kors. This was teamed with some subtle contouring to the cheekbones and a light sheen to the lips.

Models at Donna Karen had their eyes lined with hot magenta and lashing of pink mascara to match. The rest of the look was kept very natural, even brows were bleached to keep the focus on the colour around the eyes.